• Contemporary

    #RLFblog Awesome Authors @alicerauthor @AlinaKField @brenda_sparks @cbclarkauthor @DeeSKnight @donnavstone @loreleiconfer @njwaltersauthor @TenaStetler @VickiBatman

    Whether it's vampires, sweet romance, small town romance, sexy romance, or anything in between, RLF has an author who writes it! In 2020, when all of us wanted a means of escape (to ANYwhere else), this blog was a haven. There were always good authors and great books.

    RLF shared over 360 posts this year, even with me taking a few more days off than usual (I needed a break!). Not all the authors who blogged are listed.

    These are the bloggers who shared the most and chatted the most (in alphabetical order).

    Alexa Aston
    Alice Renaud
    Alina K Field
    Amber Daulton
    Bernadette Jones
    CB Clark
    Dee S Knight
    DV Stone
    Karen Cino
    Lorelei Confer
    Lyndell Williams
    NJ Walters
    Tena Stetler
    Vicki Batman

    I should be in there since I blog once a month, but I saved room for others. As it was, I couldn't fit everyone's @name into the title, but I tried. These authors are the ones who have been on RLF the most, or who have garnered the most comments.

    Every author on RLF is special to me, and over the years, they have become my friends.

    In 2021, I hope to have all of you back to visit, and to invite a whole host of new friends to join us.

    Happy New Year! Here's to a wonderful year in 2021.

    Awesome Authors Who Blog: @alicerauthor @TenaStetler @donnavstone @cbclarkauthor @AlinaKField @VickiBatman @brenda_sparks

    Sign up for a spot on RLF:

    Reserve a date Jan - Jun 2021 https://bit.ly/jan2jun2021

    Inviting #RLFblog readers and authors - join Kayelle's Keepers!

    A Special Invitation!

    Please join me at Kayelle's Keepers, a Facebook group for readers where you can host takeovers and be a featured author. I'd love to have RLF guests sign up.

    Join the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kayelleskeepers

    If interested in a takeover sign up here: https://forms.gle/NoJCt2YG6rjYmSqJA  There's no obligation by signing up. Just a show of interest.

    Be sure say hello and mention you're a reader or author from RLF when you join!


     

  • Book Release,  Regency

    Convincing the Countess in Mistletoe and Mayhem, A Regency Holiday Romance Anthology by Alina K Field @AlinaKField #RLFblog #NewRelease #ReadaRegency

    Convincing the Countess, in Mistletoe and Mayhem, A Regency Holiday Romance Anthology by Alina K Field @AlinaKField #RLFblog #NewRelease #ReadaRegencyA business minded aristocrat finds himself pursuing a casual affair with a widowed countess… until love changes everything, in Alina K Field’s Convincing the Countess, a Regency Christmas novella.

    Alina, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about Convincing the Countess and Mistletoe and Mayhem, A Regency Holiday Romance Anthology.

    Convincing the Countess by Alina K Field

    Genre: Regency Romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

    There’s no Christmas like a Regency Christmas spent under mistletoe! New York Times Bestselling author Cheryl Bolen and friends invite you to discover true love in eleven deliciously steamy romances in this all-new holiday collection

    In Alina K Field’s Convincing the Countess, a penniless widowed countess with trade in her blood descends upon the country manor of her sons’ negligent guardian, intent on confronting him and setting a course for her boys’ futures. Instead, she finds his younger brother, a business-minded aristocrat with a penchant for widows and a distaste for emotional entanglements. A man who once witnessed her greatest humiliation. A man offering tempting distractions that threaten to derail all her plans.

    Called home at Christmas to bring his older brother to heel and sort out the family finances, a baron’s younger brother wishes nothing more than to finish the task and return to his railway project. But when he finds his mother entertaining a fetching widow he met many years earlier as the unfortunate bride of a ne’er-do-well earl, temptation steers him along a different track, one that may derail all his plans.

    Can he convince the reluctant countess to set a course for her future that includes him?

    Why did you write this book?

    The business-minded hero is a secondary character in last year’s The Duke She Despised. I knew he had to have his own happily ever after!

    What is your favorite genre to read?

    I enjoy many, but I especially like historical romance and historical mystery.

    Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?

    Rupert Carsington, the hero of Loretta Chase’s Mr. Impossible.

    What are you working on at the moment?

    I’m just wrapping up Fated Hearts, a project for the Love After All Tragic Characters in Literature project, retelling the story of Macbeth as a Regency-set romance with a happily-ever-after; I’ve finished a novella called The Comtesse of Midnight, related to Fated Hearts for Storm and Shelter, a Bluestocking Belles and Friends Collection; and I’m also working on the first draft of a sequel to Convincing the Countess.

    What books will we see from you in coming months?

    Fated Hearts, my Macbeth retelling, will be available at the end of December. Storm and Shelter is available now for preorder for the April 2020 release.

    Where to buy Mistletoe and Mayhem, A Regency Holiday Romance Anthology

    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FHSWGZN
    Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mistletoe-and-mayhem-cheryl-bolen/1137459973
    iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/mistletoe-and-mayhem/id1527032295
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mistletoe-and-mayhem-7
    GooglePlay Books https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=gRL5DwAAQBAJ&fbclid=IwAR0wQ-q14SM5uqkGYe8z-gQZdRoS5EX0HliMe_f_4Zdcl0opJOCUnuU0xvE

    Alina K Field Social Media

    Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Alina K Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but she prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California where she is hard at work on her next historical romance.
    Website https://alinakfield.com
    Blog https://alinakfield.com/blog
    Twitter https://twitter.com/AlinaKField
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alinak.field/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field
    BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY
    Get to know Alina K Field better by signing up for an email newsletter https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z6q6e3

     

  • Know the Heroine,  Regency

    Know the Heroine from A Leap Into Love by Alina K Field @AlinaKField #RLFblog #SweetRegencyRomance

    Know the Heroine from A Leap Into Love by Alina K Field @AlinaKField #RLFblog #SweetRegencyRomanceAlina K Field, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! We’re excited to find out more about your heroine, but first, tell us about the book.

    A Leap Into Love by Alina K Field

    Genre Sweet Regency Romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG

    Can a gentleman be too charming? The ladies of Upper Upton think so. And it’s almost Leap Day, when a man who refuses a lady’s proposal of marriage must offer a forfeit.

    When the single ladies of the village conspire to teach their charmer a lesson that might bankrupt him, the town’s loveliest young widow steps up to warn him.

    His secrets and hers make them a perfect match—and she’s the lady he wants. But she won’t accept his proposal, not even to rescue him.

    As Leap Day approaches, the clock is ticking. Can he convince her in time to say yes to his offer and take a leap into love?

    Know the Heroine from A Leap Into Love

    It’s late, she’s bored. What does she do?

    Boredom is a welcome respite for Mrs. Myra Smith, who chases children all day. In the rare evenings when she has nothing to do, she has a cup of tea and a chat with her friend and employer, Mrs. McClintock.

    What kind of food would she impulse buy if hungry?

    Something sweet.

    Describe the kind of clothes she prefers to wear.

    She would dearly love a new dress, something pretty and stylish.

    Does she know how to fix things?

    Mechanical problems are best left to others, but fixing an injustice is another matter.

    She tried to do something and it went badly. Tell us about it.

    Once upon a time, she fell in love with a neighbor’s son, and made the mistake of trusting his good intentions. That one mistake changed the course of her life, with dire, nearly fatal results.

    How does she act around children she doesn’t know?

    As a teacher at a children’s home, Myra can be both gentle and firm, as needed.

    What is she like first thing in the morning?

    Slipping out of bed in her unheated cottage on a cold morning requires rapid dressing!

    How does she handle things when in a “proper” social situation?

    Raised as the daughter of the gentry class, Myra has excellent manners.

    Maid or takes care of herself?

    Takes care of herself.

    Proper dress or casual clothes?

    Proper work dress.

    Sleeves buttoned or rolled up?

    When helping with baths or cooking, she’ll roll up her sleeves.

    Powdered wig or natural hair?

    Myra couldn’t afford either, even if they were in fashion.

    Carriage or horseback?

    Walking is her usual mode of transportation, but when hauling supplies, she’ll take the donkey cart.

    Thanks for helping us get to know your heroine!

    Where to buy A Leap Into Love

    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Leap-Into-Love-Regency-Romance-ebook/dp/B079W9HRW3
    Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-leap-into-love-alina-k-field/1133044086?ean=2940161434833
    iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-leap-into-love/id1477140790?ls=1
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-leap-into-love
    GooglePlay Books https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Alina_K_Field_A_Leap_Into_Love?id=Z5S1DwAAQBAJ

    Alina K Field Social Media

    USA Today Bestselling and Award-winning author Alina K Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California where she shares a midcentury home with her husband and her spunky, blonde, rescued terrier.
    She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!
    Website https://alinakfield.com/
    Blog https://alinakfield.com/blog
    Twitter https://twitter.com/AlinaKField
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alinak.field/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field
    BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY
    Get to know Alina K Field better by signing up for their email newsletter. https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z6q6e3

     

  • RLF Gems

    How author Brenda Sparks became a #1 Blogger 2 years in a row on #RLFblog @Brenda_Sparks

    How author Brenda Sparks became a #1 Blogger 2 years in a row on #RLFblog @Brenda_Sparks

    How Does Brenda do it?

    Brenda Sparks managed to be the top blogger on Romance Lives Forever, two years in a row. How? I can tell you one thing, she talks about other authors who appear here and sends out tweets every week leading people back to her posts. In return, she gets a book listed on the front page of the blog for a year. Not shabby at all! See an example of one of her tweets below. It’s about her book, but it goes to the RLF blog. I think one secret is she cares and shares.

    And what about Vicki Batman, who managed to get 40 comments on one blog post? What does she do to get people to read and comment? One thing about her that I know, she supports other authors, and she has an incredibly compelling personal story to tell. She and her husband, whom she always calls Handsome, have been going through a long battle with cancer. She’s shared her unfolding story each year during Cancer Awareness in October. Her readers love keeping up with her. I think one secret is her big heart.

    How author Brenda Sparks became a #1 Blogger 2 years in a row on #RLFblog @Brenda_Sparks

    Both Brenda and Vicki get a full year of advertising on RLF. Congratulations!

    What kind of books do they write? Brenda writes Paranormal and Vicki writes Contemporary and Women’s Fiction. The other authors listed below are an interesting mix. Two write historical fiction, and several write suspense. The biggest draw on this site is romance, followed by contemporary, PNR (paranormal romance), romantic suspense, historical, contemporary, and sci fi. That last one is partly because it’s what I write and I sneak in a post every month myself. We have a large number of Sci Fi posts from others too. But those are not the only genres. We have everything except kidlit.

    In 2019, There were many authors who did an amazing job of bringing visitors to the blog. After Brenda Sparks, the following authors are listed in order based on the number of visits they brought to the blog.

    #1 Lyndell Williams
    #2 Dee S Knight (Dee comments on RLF every day!)
    #3 Kryssie Fortune
    #4 NJ Walters
    #5 Alina K Field
    #6 Daryl Devore
    #7 Alexa Aston
    #8 Karen Cino
    #9 Jami Gray
    #10 Amber Daulton

    Two authors whose visits were also high overall were Vicki Batman (surprised? not) and Lorelei Confer.

    So how do you get to be a number one blogger and get your name out there where people can hear about you? Use Twitter. Share on Facebook. Pop it into your newsletter. Share pictures on Tumblr. Whatever works for you, use it to tell people where you are going to be. When an author shares it helps others as well as the author. Being a champion for others is what it’s all about.

    Here’s the link to sign up for next year. I use SignupGenius to let you pick your own date, plus, you’ll get automated reminders so you don’t miss a scheduled visit.

    My thanks to all the wonderful authors who have appeared on RLF during 2019. Here’s to a prosperous and successful 2020.

    — Kayelle Allen

  • Meet an Author,  Regency

    Meet Alina K Field @AlinaKField Author of The Marquess and the Midwife #RLFblog #RegencyRomance #ReadaRegency

    Meet Alina K Field @AlinaKField Author of The Marquess and the Midwife #RLFblog #RegencyRomance #ReadaRegencyAlina K Field, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about The Marquess and the Midwife.

    The Marquess and the Midwife by Alina K Field

    Genre Regency Romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13

    Once upon a time, the younger brother of a marquess fell in love with his sister’s companion. He was sent off to war, and she was just sent off, and they both landed in very different worlds.

    Now Virgil Radcliffe has returned from his self-imposed exile on the Continent to take up his late brother’s title and discover the whereabouts of the only woman he’s ever loved.

    Abandoned by her lover and dismissed by her employer, Ameline Dawes has found a respectable identity as a Waterloo widow, a new life as a midwife, and a safe, secure home for her twin girls. Called to London at Christmas to attend her benefactress’s lying-in, she finds herself confronted by an unexpected house guest–a man determined to woo her anew and win her again.

    But is loving the new Marquess of Wallenford a mistake Ameline cannot afford to repeat?

    Specially priced at 99 cents through Dec. 31, 2019!

    Tell us about yourself as a person.

    What makes you different from other people?

    I honestly don’t think I’m much different from other people!

    What is your personality type?

    I’m an introvert, and something of a workaholic, though I never seem to get as much done as I want to. If we’re talking Meyers-Briggs, I’m an ISFJ.

    What was your favorite childhood game?

    I loved racing around outside playing tag with my brother and friends.

    What is your favorite subject to talk about?

    I confess, I’m not very good at the art of conversation. I’m the silent one at gatherings of strangers listening to everyone else talk and trying to draw them out on their subject of interest. But when I’m with family and old friends, I like to hear about their kids, and grandkids and tell them about mine.

    What is your favorite book?

    Honestly, I have many, but I absolutely adore Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase.

    What is your favorite meal?

    I have many favorites (and the extra pounds that come with!), but let’s just say, anything but seafood and organ meats!

    Tell us about yourself as a writer.

    What made you want to be a writer?

    I always loved story. As a child, I used to dream up stories when I had trouble going to sleep at night, something that I think is pretty common among people who go on to write fiction.

    What are your favorite books for writing advice?

    Books with intricate plotting schemes often freeze up my muse, but after hearing John Truby speak recently at a conference, I’m re-reading helpful parts of his book, The Anatomy of Story. My very favorite writing book is Techniques of the Selling Writer, by Dwight V. Swain. An oldie, but goodie.

    What are your favorite reference books?

    Not books, but websites: etymonline.com, a free Etymological Dictionary, invaluable for deciding whether a word was used in my story’s time period; and Wikipedia! I go there first for a summary of the topic, and then check the links at the bottom of the article.

    When you go to a convention, what kinds of things do you take along?

    A notebook and paper and a heavy sweater or shawl because I’m always freezing.

    What’s your best advice for a new writer?

    Finish that story to the end. Let yourself write ugly pages, but get the story down all the way to the end. Go back later to make it pretty. Learn what works best for you (plotting vs. pantsing; critique group vs. on your own; Scrivener or Word; daily or weekend writing) and follow that path to publication. There’s no one way to do this work.

    What are your writing goals for this year?

    My goals for 2020: a sequel to this year’s Christmas novella in the Winter Wishes Regency Christmas Anthology; another Regency novella set around Michaelmas; a retelling of Macbeth as a romance with a happy ending; and work on a prequel series to my Sons of the Spy Lord books.

    Get to know Alina K Field better by signing up for their email newsletter.

    https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z6q6e3

    Where to buy The Marquess and the Midwife

    Amazon http://a.co/5tSH05P
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1125068696?ean=2940156905331
    iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-marquess-and-the-midwife/id1167622013?ls=1
    Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-marquess-and-the-midwife
    Googleplay https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Alina_K_Field_The_Marquess_and_the_Midwife?id=x8zHDgAAQBAJ

    Alina K Field Social Media

    Award winning author Alina K Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but she prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband, her spunky, blonde, rescued terrier, and the blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.
    Website https://alinakfield.com/
    Blog https://alinakfield.com/blog
    Twitter https://twitter.com/AlinaKField
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/
    Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alinak.field/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field
    BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY

     

  • Anthology,  Christmas or Holiday

    The Duke She Despised by Alina K Field (Winter Wishes Regency Holiday Romance Anthology) @AlinaKField #RLFblog #RegencyRomance #ReadaRegency

    The Duke She Despised by Alina K Field (Winter Wishes Regency Holiday Romance Anthology) @AlinaKField #RLFblog #RegencyRomance #ReadaRegencyAlina K Field, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your book.

    The Duke She Despised by Alina K Field, in the Winter Wishes Regency Holiday Romance Anthology

    Genre Regency Romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

    The new Duke of Kinmarty has lost everyone who mattered and gained naught but a title, and debt, and an old pile of a castle. When a fetching new housekeeper appears on his doorstep frantic to ready the place for the Yuletide, he seizes the chance for a respite from grieving and pretends to be the new duke’s estate factor.

    With her cousin’s children due to arrive from India, a vicar’s widow hides her identity and takes a position as housekeeper to the children’s dreadful uncle, the man who years ago sabotaged her own chance for happiness. Overwhelmed by a castle understaffed and in disarray, she forges a bond with the new duke’s charming but not very competent factor, not knowing that he’s hiding something as well.

    QUICK

    Do you write more than one genre? If so, what are they?

    I write contemporary romance as well as Regency and Georgian romance.

    How do you come up with ideas?

    Reading history books and blogs spurs my muse.

    What is the single most important part of writing for you?

    Making sure the character’s motivation is logical and on the page.

    When did you write your first book?

    I wrote my first book in 2010.

    FUN

    Leather or lace? Leather
    Black or red? I like both!
    Satin sheets or smooth cotton? Smooth cotton
    Ocean or mountains? Mountains
    City life or country life? I like both.
    Party life or evening at home? Evening at home.
    Dogs or cats? I have both!

    Where to buy Winter Wishes: A Regency Holiday Romance Anthology

    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VDFWHJ4
    Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winter-wishes-cheryl-bolen/1132526378
    iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/winter-wishes/id1473205043
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/winter-wishes-9
    Google https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cheryl_Bolen_Winter_Wishes

    Alina K Field Social Media

    Award winning author Alina K Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband, her spunky, blonde, rescued terrier, and the blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.
    She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!
    Website https://alinakfield.com/
    Blog https://alinakfield.com/blog
    Twitter https://twitter.com/AlinaKField
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY
    Newsletter https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z6q6e3